Family Support
by 4-eyedDragon
Summary: This takes place right after what happened at Bella's party in New Moon.Slight spoilers for the first chapter of New Moon, so make sure you've read that before you read this. This is some brotherly bonding after Edward goes looking for Jasper. ONESHOT!


**Author's Note: **I put Edward and Jasper as the characters because they have the biggest part of the story. Sort of Edward/Jasper brotherly bonding, but there is a little of everyone in the family.

* * *

**Family Support**

I snarled as Emmett wrestled me out the door that Esme held open for him. I wanted Bella's blood! I craved it like a smoker craves nicotine. I needed her blood, and my stupid brother wasn't giving it to me!

I heard Edward snarl. I didn't care. I could take him, especially if it was after he was grief stricken over his little human. I had destroyed vampires before, what was one more? I just needed that blood!

Then the fresh air hit me, and my head cleared up a bit...more like a lot. When I calmed down, Emmett let go of me, and I turned to face him, Rosalie, and Esme.

"Please tell me I didn't just nearly attack Bella" I said, every syllable laced with my horror. "Tell me I did the impossible for a vampire, and fell asleep. Tell me what I just think happened was a dream, or more precisely, a nightmare."

"No one blames you, Jasper" Esme said gently.

"It's not your fault" Rosalie said.

I swore, "I nearly killed Bella!"

"You couldn't help yourself" Emmett said, "And we were able to stop you. No harm, no foul."

So once again, my family saved me from screwing everything up! Once again, it took my family to keep me from exposing us or ending an innocent life! I had to get away from here. I didn't know where I would go, just as long as it was going away from here. I took off to the woods at full speed.

"Jasper!" I heard Alice yell. I didn't stop, or even slow down. I didn't turn around. I needed to get away from Bella, far away. Before I did something stupid again.

* * *

"Bella doesn't blame you" Alice said. After a bit of her calling, begging me to stop, I listened. She came over, and I held her close. I took a deep breath. Alice always made things better. She was my Bella. If someone had tried to harm her like I did with Bella tonight...

I shook my head

"Jasper! Jasper, I know you are out here!" I heard Edward calling me.

"Jasper, listen to me...Bella doesn't blame you." Alice said

"Yeah, right"

"She doesn't!" Alice told me urgently

"Then she doesn't realize how close she came to being dead tonight." my voice cracked on the word 'dead'. "Not just changed, but dead. If I had bitten her, it wouldn't have been enough just to get my venom in her, I would have sucked her dry" I said, and threw all my strength into punching a tree. It snapped cleanly in half, and the ground shook when it fell "She doesn't realize how I almost destroyed Edward's whole reason for being."

"Jasper!" Edward called again. He was close.

"Great" I said "Now I get to be yelled at by the boyfriend of my almost victim."

"Jasper, listen to Edward" Alice said.

"I don't need to listen to him to know what he wants to say. 'You're a monster, Jasper'. 'You shouldn't be allowed to exist, Jasper'. It's what I deserve"

"No it's not!" Alice said.

"Jasper, there you are."

Edward finally caught up with us. He walked towards me, and I tensed "Look Edward, I am sorry for nearly killing Bella, OK? I'll just disappear now, and I won't be a threat anymore." With that, I made a mad dash into the forest. I wasn't sure where I would go, but I knew where I wouldn't."

Behind me, I heard Edward take off after me. He was that determined to destroy me? I would have thought that the fact we were brothers would have counted for something, but I guess I was wrong.

I couldn't outrun Edward, he was too fast. But I might stand a chance in a fight. I would run until he managed to get me, and-

"Gotcha" Edward said, as he grabbed my shoulder, and held on.

I tried to shake him off, but only half-heartedly. I deserved to be destroyed. That was a monster's fate.

"You are not a monster" Edward said in response to my thought "And I am not going to destroy you. I want to talk"

"Talk about what?" I asked.

"Bella and what happened at the party."

"We all know what happened at the party" I said bitterly, "I showed once again that I am the weakest of us all."

"You are not weak" Edward said.

I sniffed, "Yeah, sure"

"You're not!" Edward growled, "You are the strongest vampire I know"

"Barring Carlisle, Esme, you, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice" I said.

"No!" Edward said, "You are the strongest vampire I know, bar none"

"No one but me tried to attack" I said.

"Carlisle has been around blood so much he hardly notices the smell anymore" Edward said, "And Esme and Alice needed to cover their faces to block out the smell. I held my breath the moment Bella's skin broke. Emmett and Rosalie struggled not to breath in the smell as well."

"But you were all strong enough to resist. I turned into a monster-"

"I swear Jasper, if you call yourself a monster one more time, I will show you what a _real_ monster does." Edward growled.

"When have I ever been strong?" I asked "Every time we go hunting, we have to make sure there are no humans around for me."

"That is for everyone" Edward said "And you demonstrate your strength every day at school by not attacking."

"None of you attack at school."

"None of us spent a century drinking blood during the vampire wars." Edward said "I mean, I had a few years when I rebelled, and Emmett struggled with the rules at first, but our length of time on human blood is nothing compared to you. None of us were forced to break the diet we were use to in order to be vegetarian."

"Carlisle-"

"Has Carlisle ever told you his story?" Edward asked, "He was so repulsed by himself when he realized he had been changed, that he tried to starve himself. His first meal as a vampire was animal blood, when he couldn't take it anymore. That is the way of life he showed me and Esme and Rosalie and Emmett. You, however, overcame huge obstacles by breaking the diet Maria got you set on. If you want to call someone a monster, she is a very good example"

"And I was just like her tonight! Bella almost died tonight because of me! If I had successfully gotten to her, I wouldn't have stopped!"

"But you didn't kill her" Edward said.

"Only because you got between us" I said, "If I had gotten past you..." I shuddered just thinking about it.

"See that? That proves you are not a monster."

"What?"

"You shuddered at the idea of harming Bella. Monsters don't care about harming people." Edward said, "And neither Bella or I blame you for tonight."

I was shocked by the sincerity that rolled off of Edward at these words. He really meant it.

"Of course I am sincere" Edward said, "I can read minds, remember? I can see that you are hating yourself for attacking Bella. Now, if you had no remorse, I'd be forced to destroy you, simply for Bella's safety.

"After Emmett and Rosalie got me outside, and my head cleared up, do you know what I thought?"

"I was a bit pre-occupied to pay attention to thoughts" Edward admitted.

"I was thinking about what I would do if I was you, Alice was Bella, and someone had attacked her. I would have ripped them from limb to limb. The idea of anyone wanting to hurt Alice..."

"There was someone who wanted to hurt Alice, remember? A certain tracker you helped take down this past spring?"

"James" I snarled the name.

Edward nodded.

"He and I are the same" Jasper said, "We both nearly killed Bella"

"Don't ever compare yourself to James" Edward snarled at me, his lips rolling back to show his teeth. "He _hunted_ humans...for the pure _sport _of it. _You_ had one small moment of weakness, when your feral instincts took over. James _wanted_ to hurt Bella. _You_ didn't have any control over what you were doing."

I shook my head, "How can you be so compassionate?"

"Easy" Edward said, giving me a small playful shove, "You're my brother, I have to put up with you. I don't get a choice"

I grinned. Edward was joking, I could tell from the humor rolling off of him. There wasn't even a hint of malice as he laughed "Jasper, you are my brother. You are family. I have seen how much you struggle at school. I've heard the thoughts of students about you at school. They say that you look like you're in pain. What they don't realize is that if you didn't look like that, they would all be dead."

That shut me up really quickly.

"Plus, you already saved Bella once" Edward said softly.

I looked at him, confused.

"When we were trying to throw off the tracker" Edward said, "You and Alice were her last line of protection, and I knew you would have fought for Bella if the need came...plus you helped destroy James while I nearly let Bella suffer because of him. I know that if it comes to a fight against Victoria when we find her, you'll fight for Bella's safety then, too. I love you, Jasper, and no girl-not even one who smells as irresistible as Isabella Swan-is ever going to change that or take your place."

I smiled at the love that poured out of him. He really meant it, "Thanks Edward. I love you too."

Edward clapped me on the shoulder, "Why don't you go do some hunting...I think you need it."

I grinned "Yeah, especially since you blocked my path to the sweetest snack I could have possibly had."

"Watch it" Edward warned in a growl, and then grinned "I am going back to the house to take Bella home. Don't stay away for too long, Carlisle and Esme will get worried."

I nodded "I just need a small snack. An hour or two should be enough time."

"See you at home." Edward said, and then ran off in the direction of the house.

* * *

Two hours later, I returned to the house. When I walked into the room where the party had taken place, I recoiled. The smell of bleach was strong!

"I had to do _something_ to clean up the mess" I heard Esme say from the side.

I turned and saw Esme and Carlisle standing not too far away.

"How is Bella?" I asked.

"She's had much worse. She'll recover very easily." Carlisle said.

"Good" I said.

"More importantly, how are you?" Esme asked, "Alice said you were really upset"

"I was" I admitted, "I'm alright now."

"Are you sure?" Carlisle said, "Because we have no problem telling you as many times as it takes that you aren't at fault for tonight."

"I'm sure" I said, "Edward did a very good job of that...but I still think I should go away for a little while, just to make sure I'll be alright."

"Whatever you choose, we will support you, son" Carlisle said.

"We just want you to be happy" Esme added.

I nodded, "I need a word with Alice"

I walked past both of them, and they stopped me to give me hugs. Then I walked upstairs. Alice already had her suitcase out and was packing.

"You had a vision?" I asked her.

"We'll leave as soon as we're both packed if you want."

I walked over and wrapped her up in my arms. "Thank you for being so understanding."

Alice leaned her head back against my chest, "This is what a family is for, silly."

"So, where should we go for our little get away, Mrs. Whitlock?"

Alice smiled up at me "How does Denali, Alaska sound to you?"


End file.
